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Obama attempts to block Texas execution tonight of Humberto Leal

Governor Rick Perry will continue with the execution of convicted murder and rapist Humberto Leal, despite pleas to stop this coming from Barack Obama, judges, high ranking military and a former president due to ramifications on U.S. foreign relations.

President Obama joined a lengthy list of prominent U.S. citizens asking that the execution of a Mexican killer be stopped today. Leal is due to be put to death in Texas at 6p.m. tonight for what Governor Rick Perry calls “the most heinous of crimes,” which includes rape and murder. Obama urges Perry to consider the ramifications of this execution to U.S. interests.

Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, has ignored the many appeals he has already received from diplomats, top judges, senior military officers, the United Nations and former president George W Bush. All of these high ranking military and government officials are asking Perry to reconsider and to stay Leal's execution because it could jeopardize US diplomatic interests, as well as Americans arrested abroad, according to Fox News.

The Supreme Court is asked by The White House to put the execution of this Mexican national on hold while Congress passes a law that would prevent the death of this convicted murderer and rapist. The law would not only stop the execution of Leal, but also dozens of other foreign nationals who stood trial for capitol crimes and were denied proper access to diplomatic representation before hand.

Leal, 38, was convicted of the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in San Antonio in 1994. There is little questions as to whether he is responsible for these crimes or not, the evidence was there to convict him. The problem is that Texas authorities failed to inform him of his rights under the Vienna convention. Although he was born in Mexico, Leal has lived in the U.S. since the age of two. Even though he has spent almost all his life living in the U.S., this death row inmate was still entitled to contact the Mexican consulate when he was arrested.

The lawyers for Leal argue that the lack of access to the Mexican consulate played a role in the death penalty sentence for the Mexican national. During "non-custodial interviews" on the day of the murder, he incriminated himself in statements he made to the police. If he had been awarded his legal right of having access to the Mexican consulate, chances are they would have arranged for a lawyer for him, and he would have limited his statements to the police under the advise of that lawyer. The authorities in Mexico were never informed of his arrest in the U. S..

The White House presented a 30-page brief to the Supreme Court, outlining the problems carrying out this execution may cause due to this convicted prisoner's rights being violated at the time of his arrest. The brief stresses that it is in the U.S.'s best interest to meet their obligations under this treaty.

One of the biggest concerns about neglecting to follow the terms put forth from the Vienna Convention is the implications this may have on Americans traveling to other countries. If the U.S. does not honor this, it may open the door for others to follow. This could result in Americans aboard being denied the right to the American consulate if arrested, just as Leal was denied the chance to contact the Mexican consulate.

Comments

Excellent article, I am so tired of everything this administration does coming down to the last minute, like the budget. Didn't they think of this before, now they are scrambling to get Congress to pass a law to save this guys life. This man lived in the US his entire life. He had all the privileges of living in this country for his entire life, now that he has to take the consequences of murder and rape in this country, he's protected due to not speaking to the Mexican consulate. He hasn't been in Mexico since he was two!. What a loop-hole. This is what they should be scrambling to do, close that loop hole. I' m with Perry on this one.

Obama's team is already setting up a fight for 2012
Obama: i would have saved the latino, perry killed him, latinos need to vote for Obama..
Basically Screw the girl and her american family who suffered and died for votes.
the latino already lived an extra 17 years.
Please... Death row is joke. thats why murder rates keep growing.
Vote Obama for criminal freedom..

There's never any reasoning with this arrogant prick Perry. He can't get it through his whatever passes for a brain that murder by any other name is still murder "legalized": or otherwise. This scumbag is known for his big mouth but no balls to pull the switch himself. A real jewel in the Texas crown.

I think one fact is missing from all these articles; Leal never revealed to the police that he was a Mexican national. That didnt come out until much later. How is the State supposed to inform him of his consular rights when he wont be honest with them about his citizenship status? By failing to tell them he was a Mexican citizen he waived his right to the consular provision.

Good article on this topic. Leal not revealing his status to the police is a very good point. This is his responsibility to share this and make the request. I agree with above statement where it says he has lived in the US and reaped the rewards of this country for all his life and now that the game changes he wants to be a Mexican national!

So, lets see, executing this POS will deprive him of his life and the could make garbage at the UN cry. What about her life? I don't guess that matters to them. Well let them cry. It's too bad the trash politicians that defend these scum don't have what was done to this girl done to their wives and children. King BO wants Perry to consider the ramifications Texas may have on US interest but it seems that king BO could not give a fat rats a$$ about the ramifications his imigration policy (or lack there of) is having on Texas, Arizona, California and the rest of the country. Go Texas! Tell king BO and the rest of the beltway criminal thugs and enablers to stick their heads back in their colective a$$e$ and butt out! Go Perry! Send this POS streight to HELL where he belongs! Seventeen years is far too long for him to have lived on the taxpayers dime.

THIS RAPIST MURDERING EVIL PERSON IS GETTING A REVIEW NOT DESERVED. WHAT ABOUT THE POOR 16 YEAR OLD GIRL HE RAPED OVER AND OVER AND THEN CRUSHED HER BONES AND FINALLY HER HEAD WITH A ROCK, A FU------ ROCK AND TORCHURED HER WHILE HE CONTINUED TO RAPE HER AGAIN AND AGAIN. LET'S TRY AND IMAGINE THE HORROR THIS YOUNG LADY MUST HAVE ENDURED FROM THIS RABID ANIMAL. THINK ABOUT HER NOT HIM. DO ANY OF YOU KNOW IF HE EVER HAS SHOWN EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF REMORSE ? EVER TRYED TO CONTACT THE GIRLS FAMILY AND SAY HE WISHS HE HAD NEVER DONE IT ? THINK ABOUT THE VICTIM HERE FORGET ABOUT THE RABID ANIMAL THAT SHOULD NEVER EVER ENJOYED A BOWL OF ICE CREAM AS HE HAS IN PRISON MANY MANY TIMES. HE HAS ENJOYED LIFE IN PRISON THERE IS NO PUNISHMENT THERE. HE IS ALLOWED TO WATCH TV SEE MOVIES PLAY GAMES , VISIT WITH OTHER PEOPLE. WHAT ABOUT THE VICTIM ONLY ONE PERSON HERE EVEN MENTIONS THE YOUNG LADY THAT THIS RABID ANIMAL BEAT TO DEATH WITH A ROCK. IMAGINE HOW SHE CRYED FOR HELP AND BEGGED AND BEGGED AND BEGGEDAND BEGGEED AND BEEEGGGGEEEEEDDD FOR HER LIFE.
THANK GOD THERE IS A REALIST HUMAN IN CHARGE HERE BY THE NAME OF RICK PERRY AND NOT A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ------ -- - ------ -- ----- - NAMED OBAMA ... THE TIME NOW IS 9:00PM CENTRAL AND I CERTAINLY HOPED NO MORE PLEASURE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THAT RABID ANIMAL AND THAT HE WAS EXECUTED AS HE SHOULD BE AND I WISH THEY WOULD HAVE IT ON THE LATE NEWS SO AS TO SHOW OTHER ANIMALS WHO MAY BECOME RABID WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM IF THEY IN FACT "CHOOSE" TO BECOME RABID AS THIS ANIMAL DID. THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENTH RICK PERRY GOVENOR OF TEXAS

THIS RAPIST MURDERING EVIL PERSON IS GETTING A REVIEW NOT DESERVED. WHAT ABOUT THE POOR 16 YEAR OLD GIRL HE RAPED OVER AND OVER AND THEN CRUSHED HER BONES AND FINALLY HER HEAD WITH A ROCK, A FU------ ROCK AND TORCHURED HER WHILE HE CONTINUED TO RAPE HER AGAIN AND AGAIN. LET'S TRY AND IMAGINE THE HORROR THIS YOUNG LADY MUST HAVE ENDURED FROM THIS RABID ANIMAL. THINK ABOUT HER NOT HIM. DO ANY OF YOU KNOW IF HE EVER HAS SHOWN EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF REMORSE ? EVER TRYED TO CONTACT THE GIRLS FAMILY AND SAY HE WISHS HE HAD NEVER DONE IT ? THINK ABOUT THE VICTIM HERE FORGET ABOUT THE RABID ANIMAL THAT SHOULD NEVER EVER ENJOYED A BOWL OF ICE CREAM AS HE HAS IN PRISON MANY MANY TIMES. HE HAS ENJOYED LIFE IN PRISON THERE IS NO PUNISHMENT THERE. HE IS ALLOWED TO WATCH TV SEE MOVIES PLAY GAMES , VISIT WITH OTHER PEOPLE. WHAT ABOUT THE VICTIM ONLY ONE PERSON HERE EVEN MENTIONS THE YOUNG LADY THAT THIS RABID ANIMAL BEAT TO DEATH WITH A ROCK. IMAGINE HOW SHE CRYED FOR HELP AND BEGGED AND BEGGED AND BEGGEDAND BEGGEED AND BEEEGGGGEEEEEDDD FOR HER LIFE.
THANK GOD THERE IS A REALIST HUMAN IN CHARGE HERE BY THE NAME OF RICK PERRY AND NOT A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED ------ -- - ------ -- ----- - NAMED OBAMA ... THE TIME NOW IS 9:00PM CENTRAL AND I CERTAINLY HOPED NO MORE PLEASURE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THAT RABID ANIMAL AND THAT HE WAS EXECUTED AS HE SHOULD BE AND I WISH THEY WOULD HAVE IT ON THE LATE NEWS SO AS TO SHOW OTHER ANIMALS WHO MAY BECOME RABID WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM IF THEY IN FACT "CHOOSE" TO BECOME RABID AS THIS ANIMAL DID. THANK YOU FOR YOUR STRENTH RICK PERRY GOVENOR OF TEXAS